Dubai court clears Christian Michel's extradition in AgustaWestland chopper case

Dubai: A Dubai court on Monday ordered the extradition of British national and alleged middleman Christian Michel, who is wanted by Indian investigative agencies in the Rs 3,600 crore AgustaWestland VVIP helicopter deal case, according to a media report.

Michel, 54, is currently behind bars in Dubai since he was arrested and sent into custody pending the legal and judicial procedure in the UAE.

The Court of Cassation upheld on Monday a lower court order which ruled that Michel could be extradited, dismissing appeals filed by his defence lawyers, the Khaleej Times reported.

Judge Abdelaziz Al Zarouni, who headed a bench, pronounced the decision in the presence of member judges Musabeh Thaaloub, Mostafa Al Shinawi, Mahmoud Sultan and another judge, the paper said.

However, there was no immediate official confirmation about the court’s ruling in New Delhi. On Monday, Michel’s lawyer Abdul Moneim submitted documents showing that courts in Switzerland and Italy had ruled not to extradite his client.
“The judicial authorities there concluded there was no criminal element in the case,” the lawyer argued.

Earlier, he argued at Dubai’s highest court that the extradition request procedure of Michel would be a “violation” of the international treaty signed between the UAE and India. Contesting the lower court’s ruling, according to which his client could be extradited, the lawyer argued that the Indian authorities did not follow “the proper procedures” when requesting the extradition, the paper said.

“The request should have been filed by India’s Ministry of Home Affairs rather than its Ministry of External Affairs,” Abdul Moneim was quoted as saying. He contended that the procedure was “flawed” since it did not comply with the clauses of the treaty signed on the issue, the paper said. “Accordingly, the lower court order should be reversed,” he argued.

Michel filed his appeal before the Dubai Court of Cassation within 30 days after the lower court’s ruling. With Dubai’s top court upholding the lower court’s decision, it has become final but it will need approval from the UAE Minister of Justice for the extradition procedure to start.

The extradition procedure happens in coordination with the Interpol and the Criminal investigation Department.